:^0-i STATE rOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



GEO. ^Y. CAMPBELL'S OPINIOX OF THE XEU'EK GRAPES. 



Iti compliance witli your request i will give you my oi)inioii, as based upon 

 experience in this locality, and upon careful comparison ^vith older and well- 

 known sorts of some of the newer introductions of grapes. If I knew what 

 particular varieties would come under discussion at your meeting. I would con- 

 fine my remarks to them ; but as I do not know this I will speak only of such 

 as appear to me most promising at the present time. The period is within my 

 remembrance when the Catawba and Isabella were the only grapes generally 

 known to cultivators ; these were followed by the Diana and Clinton, and until 

 the appearance of the Delaware nothing remarkable was introduced. Although 

 the Delaware grape has its faults, and cannot be grown successfully in all local- 

 ities, it has taken its place as a standard variety, and has attained a reputation 

 for high flavor and su])erior tpuility unsurpassed by any other native grape. In 

 its season I think it is now the most popular grape in the large eastern markets, 

 and where it can be grown successfully, is still extensively planted. The Con- 

 cord, which subsequently appeared, perhaps awakened more discussion and 

 controversy as to its merits than any grape that had })receded it. Its faults, 

 liowever, which arc many, were so far overbalanced by its rugged hardiness, 

 health, productiveness, and general adaptability to all locations at all suited to 

 grape-growing, that it has taken the very highest position in ])ublic estimation, 

 and is now more extensively planted than any other variety in the Union. This 

 has alwavs seemed strange to me, for 1 believe no one regards it as above second 

 or third rate in quality as a table grape, it is rated no higher for wine making, 

 it is too tender-skinned for shipping safely to distant markets ; and can be kept 

 in good condition but a very short time after being gathered. 



Further remarks u})on the older varieties are hardly desirable within the 

 limits of this letter; and I have spoken of them mainly for the purpose of 

 comparison with the newer kinds which will be hereafter mentioned. 



Much credit is due to those men who have been for many years striving to 

 produce improved varieties of grapes by the alluring and interesting process of 

 liybridizing or crossing our hardy natives with the liner foreign varieties, the 

 most prominent among whom are Messrs. Allen, Iiogers, Moore, Underbill, and 

 Ivicketts. All these gentlemen have produced new varieties of grapes, some of 

 which are of great beauty and excellence ; but so far as tested up to the present 

 time, none have jiroved sufficiently hardy, healthy, and productive to supplant 

 the Concord, or to attain a very extensive popularity. 1 am not at all certain 

 that some of these hybrid grapes do not deserve greater popularity than they 

 have yet obtained, and I think it highly probable that many of them will bo 

 found suited to special localities, even though they may not be adapted to 

 general or universal cultivation, and I regard it by no means improbable that 

 there may be among the hybrids, or crosses between hybrids and our best and 

 hardiest natives, new varieties that will be of improved quality, and at the same 

 time be as hardy, healthy, and productive as the most popular older ones. One 

 trouble is, that there arc too many new grapes, especially among the hybrids, 

 and with too little difference in character. One or two new varieties liaving 

 decided and jn'ominent character, showing a marked and distinct improvement 

 u])on the older sorts, would be of more practical value than any number of 

 varieties that might be new and good, but not appreciably better than those 

 already grown. A grape having all the better characteristics of the Concord 

 with the line fjuality of Catawba, lona, or Delaware; or a l^elawarc with more 



